The second “XMU at Sea” cruise was accomplished onboard R/V TKK during this summer vacation. Ninety-two students and teachers from Xiamen University (XMU), Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) , and other international universities including Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, and the University of Delaware (UD), joined the field investigations during this three-leg cruise, traversing the South China Sea.
“XMU at Sea” Program
Initiated by XMU Faculty of Earth Science and Technology (FEST) in 2018, the training cruise for undergraduate students on R/V TKK, the “XMU at Sea” program, aims to train top-talent undergraduates with an international perspective and critical skills and experience in ocean sciences.
This year the program was opened to undergraduates from various colleges other than “FEST only” in a bid to promote interdisciplinary exchange and cooperation on ocean sciences. Ten undergraduates from the College of Humanities, the School of Economics, and other colleges, took part in the first leg from Xiamen to Sanya.
Plankton net tow conducted onboard the vessel. Photo: Xikun Song
During the seven-day voyage on the ship, students were curious about everything onboard, and were ready to learn various scientific techniques. “This is the first time I got my feet wet in seagoing investigations,” said Qi Qiu from the School of Medicine. “I acquired basic knowledge in ocean sciences, and learned how oceanographers conduct their research on a research ship.”
Thirty-three students and teachers in the second leg were all from FEST. They were split up into four working groups in line with their majors, allowing them to collaborate on innovative solutions to any kind of problem that they might meet, and gain hands-on experience and knowledge related to on-deck and in-lab practices, such as sample collection and analysis.
During the Leg II from Sanya to Port Klang, Malaysia, CTD casts, plankton net tows, benthic trawls, acoustic communication experiences, and sediment coring deployments were carried out at five stations. Prof. Cheng Peng, Chief Scientist of this cruise, presided over seminars at which students could exchange their fruits of fieldwork.
R/V TKK docked at Boustead Cruise Centre, Port Klang. Photo: Weidi Yang
The Open House event onboard R/V TKK was successfully held at Boustead Cruise Centre in Port Klang during a stopover in Malaysia. This is the first time that a Chinese scientific research vessel was opened to the Malaysian public, free of charge, attracting thousands of visitors from all walks of life. They explored the cutting-edge research ship and took part in a series of activities.
Visitors explored marine organism using microscope under the guidance of XMU Prof. Steinke. Photo: Weidi Yang
After the port call and a two-day open house event, R/V TKK set sail from Port Klang on August 19, carrying onboard 26 students and six teachers from XMU, XMUM, UM, UPM and UD to conduct scientific investigations during the nine-day voyage to her home port Xiamen. Students learned how to take sediment samples on the continental slope using a gravity corer, and got to watch as the ship profiled the ocean floor. “It was interesting because you could see the bottom of the ocean floor live as we were going on top of it,” said UD student Rucha Wani. “There were other screens where you could see water depth and dips, valleys and the ridges on the bottom of the ocean floor.” They also saw water samples with a CTD Rosette, analyzed samples from a plankton tow as well as a benthic trawl, and performed a chlorophyll analysis.
Prof. Stephan Steinke, faculty of College of Ocean and Earth Sciences said that the “XMU at Sea” Program allowed undergraduates to acquire first-hand experience and gain a better understanding of ocean sciences.
In the future, R/V TKK will continue to serve as a platform to better link XMU main campus and XMUM, and fulfill her responsibility of extending the scope for ocean sciences, and increase public awareness of ocean protection.
